EXPO 2012 Yeosu Vancouver Sun Homes away from Home

The
Expo Town apartments do not have shared internal corridors. Instead, each pair
of suites is served by an individual elevator and staircase.

The
model of an underwater city on display in the Marine Civilization and City
Pavilion at Expo 2012 Yeosu Korea seems too fantastic to ever be realized. But
then, so did the prototypical automobile on display at the 1885 Antwerp
Exposition and the television unveiled at the 1939 World Fair in New York.

Since
the first world exposition was held in London’s Crystal Palace in 1851, many of
the products we now take for granted around the home were showcased at world’s
fairs. These included the elevator, the light bulb, the gramophone, the sewing
machine and even the zipper.

Two
years ago, more than 70 million people attended Expo 2010 in Shanghai. The
theme was “Better City, Better Life” and visitors had the opportunity to
witness future concepts in community planning and home design. They watched
robots preparing meals in the kitchen and helping the elderly get in and out of
bed in nursing homes. They saw community garbage being collected by robots and
an underground vacuum system.

From
now until August, a much smaller exposition is being held in the mid-sized town
of Yeosu on Korea’s southern coast. The theme is “The Living Ocean and Coast”
and the entire site is designed to form a model city that displays the
low-carbon lifestyle we can expect in the future. Each of the theme pavilions
demonstrates ways to achieve sustainable development by promoting an
environmentally responsible use of the sea. Many of the international pavilions
also present thought-provoking ideas, including the banning of
non-biodegradable plastic bags in the United Arab Emirates pavilion and
strategies for integrated waste management happening in Singapore.

If
the ideas presented at Yeosu materialize in the same way as innovations from
previous world expositions, we will not be dependent on fresh lakes and rivers
for our water supply in the future. Instead, much of the demand may be met
through the economical production of desalinated sea water. Energy needs will
be satisfied in part by biofuels made from seaweed and other marine resources
and new biodegradable plastics will be made from materials found in the sea.

Future
town squares may be covered and animated by giant digital screens, similar to
the spectacular 218- by-30-metre-wide LED screen located above the Expo site’s
main street. The ever-changing colours and patterns include swimming whales
comprised of photographs downloaded by visitors to the site.

We
will travel in battery-powered low floor trams that do not require any overhead
wires, similar to the Hyundai Rotem hybrid prototype on display. Cars will be
powered by electricity or fuel cells.

Floating
underwater houses will feature high-tech automation systems that adjust oxygen
levels, air pressure and indoor temperatures. A desalination system will purify
drinking water and a solar power generator will offer a self-supported energy
storage system. Floating parks, harbours and resorts will result in entire
self-contained communities in lakes and oceans.

While
no one is living in floating communities at Yeosu, 6,600 people (1,800 from
abroad and 4,800 from Korea) are staying in 1,442 apartments in the newly
created Expo Town, which has its own temporary clinic, coffee shops, pubs,
Internet cafes, fitness centres, laundry rooms and prayer rooms for Buddhists,
Catholics, Christians and Muslims.

Expo
Town offers Giga Internet, with a connection speed of 1Gbps, which enables
download of a DVD movie in 10 seconds. The apartments also include a variety of
state-of-the-art green features and will be converted into condominium, rental
and time-share units after the fair.

The
highrise apartment buildings at Expo Town are typical of Korean apartments,
which generally differ from Vancouver highrises in that there are no shared
internal corridors. Rather, a vertical module is formed by two suites served by
an individual elevator and staircase. The modules are then linked together into
large buildings and complexes.

As
a result, every suite has windows facing in opposite directions, providing good
light and cross ventilation. Moreover, residents can enjoy the sunrise in the
morning and the sunset at night. While this arrangement results in additional
elevators and stairs compared to the typical Vancouver building, the extra cost
is offset by reduced corridor area and more efficient suite layouts.

Two
Vancouver-area developments designed on the same concept are 1717 Bayshore
Drive and One University Crescent at UniverCity. Many purchasers appreciate
this arrangement since the suite layouts feel more like a detached house than
an apartment. While one drawback is that only one elevator generally serves
each apartment, I was told this is not considered a problem in Korea.

To
make this design concept more economical in B.C., a Building Code modification
would be desirable so that only one staircase need be provided for each
vertical module, rather than separate staircases as required by current codes.
Given the increased availability of fire resistant materials and sprinklers,
this would seem a reasonable modification.

In
addition to alternative building and suite layouts, the bathrooms in Expo Town
apartments include two features generally not found in Vancouver developments.
These are high-tech or “smart” toilets that offer heated seats, built-in
bidets, and other features to enhance the bathroom experience. Fortunately, the
first time I used one of these toilets, the instructions were in English;
otherwise I would have had quite a shock! Apartment showers are also much more
elaborate with multiple heads and adjustments, similar to what might be found
in very high end homes in North America.

After
enjoying Korean bathrooms for over a week, I wonder why these toilets and
showers are not installed in new Vancouver area buildings. However, I suspect
it is just a matter of time before a developer includes them in a project. Then
we can expect them to become as commonplace as granite countertops!

Michael
Geller is a Vancouver-based architect, planner, real estate consultant and
property developer. Additional information and photos of Expo 2012 can be found
on his blog at www.gellersworldtravel.blogspot.com

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